Personally, I was less than enthralled by Anna Bolena; I found it slow and dull. Netrebko's voice was as beautiful as ever, but I think she was holding back on her almost-coloratura performance, saving something for the mad scene at the end. Up to now I had considered her a good actor, but today she showed Great Anguish by either staggering across the stage or by grasping her middle and bending over as if she had a bellyache. Old-time hammy operatic acting.

New-ish tenor Stephen Costello has a sweet voice, but he had to struggle with the high notes. Elena Garanca was originally scheduled to sing Jane Seymour but she decided to have a baby instead, so the role went to Ekaterina Gubanova, whose voice has a harsh edge to it that I find unpleasant. The ensembles worked well, especially the pre-Lucia sextet that closes the first act (played as a two-act opera). But for a story as loaded with drama as this one, the opera is curiously flat and even bland.

Some variety would have helped, some peaks and valleys. I guess that's hard to work in when everyone in the cast spends the entire opera singing about how much they're suffering. All that excess weight Netrebko is carrying now certainly hasn't hurt her voice, but I expected the Henry to dominate every scene he was in. The fact that he didn't...well, I honestly don't know whether that was the singer's fault or the opera's. It seemed right to have three Russian singers in the cast for the Met's first simulcast to Moscow, but I wish it had been a better opera.

So that must be the reason Anna Bolena isn't performed very often. Did you know Rudolph Bing called it "that old bore"? I don't know the opera at all, but I've read it's primarily a showpiece for the soprano.

For some reason the Seigfried discussion was also in the older topic ( along with Philip Glass)...not sure how that happened. Anyway there aren't any simulcasts for a while...or I hope there aren't because I don't think I'll be able to get to them until after Christmas.